Ventilator



Aug. 16, 1938. A. K. WHITAKER VENTILATOR (UNITARY TYPE) Filed July 1,1936 Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTILATOR(UNITARY TYPE) Application July 1, 1936, Serial No. 88,396

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to the construction and design ofventilators and particularly to ventilators of the individual or unitarytype, it being the general purpose of the invention to improve uponventilators of this type both in structural and also in operativefeatures, as will be more fully set forth herein.

One of the specific objects of the invention is to design a ventilatorwhich will secure a free and unobstructed passage of the air upwardlyfrom the building through the ventilator, the necessary elements whichprevent the entrance of rain or snow being so rearranged as to allow forthe freer passage of air without sacrifice of weather-proofness.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby currentsof air from the outside of the ventilator are directed through theventilator in such manner as to secure an aspirating or suction effectwhich will increase the efficiency of the ventilator and assist inexhausting air from the building.

Another object of the invention is to improve upon the structuralfeatures of a ventilator of this type to make a stronger, lighter unit.

While the invention is illustrated and described as applied to a roundventilator of the unitary type, it will be apparent that the features ofdesign may be applied to a ventilator of rectangular or any desiredform, and that changes and modifications may be incorporated in thedesign and construction without departing from the essential features ofthe invention as disclosed and set forth herein and as particularlydescribed in the claims.

In the drawing "is shown the best known or preferred form of theinvention, in which Fig. l is a plan view of the round type of unitaryventilator embodying the principles of the invention, a portion thereofbeing in section on the line I-l of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the ventilator on the line2-2 of Fig. 1.

It will be apparent from the description of the invention as applied toa circular ventilator that the design and arrangement give a greatercapacity for air movement than obtained in former ventilators of thistype, so that fewer units are required to secure a given amount ofventilation and the cost of properly ventilating a building is therebyreduced. This result is secured by the freer flow which is due to therearrangement of the elements and to the fact that wind striking theventilator is conducted through the ventilator to set up a siphoning oraspirating action within the ventilator and increases the exhaustemciency.

In the form of the invention shown, the eduction pipe or air shaft isindicated at I. This is mounted upon the roof of the building by meansof any suitable adapter which is not illustrated. Surrounding theventilator is the storm or windband 2, the lower edge of which is shownat approximately the level of the top of the eduction pipe I, but whichmay be located below the top of the pipe if desired. The windband issomewhat larger in diameter than the eduction pipe and is preferablyconcentric with the pipe and supported therefrom by a plurality ofdiagonal braces 3, the lower ends of which are secured to the top of theair shaft and the upper ends to the inside of the windband somewhatbelow its upper edge. This detail of construction is quite importantfrom a structural standpoint as it is usual in installations of thischaracter to support the windband from the central cone. Theconstruction illustrated makes a stronger and lighter unit. The loweredge of the windband is braced by a plurality of lateral arms 5 whichextend from the top of the air shaft to the lower inside edge of thewindband. As shown, these arms incline upwardly. v

In the center of the ventilator and over the air shaft is located theinverted director cone 8,

the outer rim of which extendsbeyond the limits of the air shaft. Thiscone directs the upwardly moving current of air toward the dischargeopening. Above the director cone 8 and secured therein is thecone-shaped ventilator top 9, which is seated within the director coneso that a trough II) is provided about the upper edge of the cone tocatch water, snow and debris which might enter the ventilator. The upperedge of the director cone may be flanged, as at I2, to prevent overflowinto the ventilator. A discharge spout it is secured at the base of thetrough and is extended downwardly and outwardly to discharge water anddebris outside of the ventilator. 7

It will be seen that a free passageway is provided past the directorcone and into the air shaft. This must be obstructed to prevent theentrance of rain or snow into the ventilator. In the older ventilatorconstructions, this has been accomplished by placing a baflie betweenthe director cone and the top of the air shaft. A baffle located in thisposition affords a substantial obstruction to the free flow of airupwardly through the ventilator and has greatly lowered its efficiency.By the improved construction, the

baflle, which is indicated by the numeral I5, is placed above the upperedge of the director cone and between the director cone and the upperedge of the windband. This bafile l5, as will be seen, effectively shutsout the rain and yet is not located so as to impede the upwardly movingcurrents of air passing through the ventilator. It is preferably aconical band supported by divided braces l6 which extend from theventilator top to points near the upper edge of the windband. For easeof construction the braces It and 6 are attached to the windband and airshaft, respectively, at the points of attachment of the diagonalsupporting braces 3. As the bafiie l extends beyond the limits of theair shaft, water flowing therefrom is discharged outside of theventilator.

The path of the air moving upwardly through the ventilator is indicatedby the dotted lines A, these lines showing that the air in its upwardmovement moves in easy curved paths out of the ventilator. This givesthe efficient exhaust of air which is characteristic of this new form ofventilator and avoids any abrupt turns or curves which in the earliertypes of ventilators hindered the free movement, setting up eddycurrents or inducing back drafts through the air shaft.

Located at the base of the ventilator is the band 20, which, forconvenience, may be supported by the diagonal lower braces 8 and is ingeneral conical form. This band is spaced an appreciable distance fromthe inner surface of the windband. Being incline-d upwardly, aircurrents which enter the ventilator from the bottom are directedupwardly against the interior of the windband and thence rise upwardlyaround the interior thereof and pass upwardly around the outer edge ofthe baflle l5. This construction generates vertically moving aircurrents which act with a suction or aspirating effect to draw the airupwardly through the Ventilator and thus aid materially in increasingthe effectiveness of the ventilator. Such air currents are indicated bythe letter B. As they move upwardly and out of the ventilator theyinduce a swifter movement of the air upwardly in the air shaft. Theinner edge of the band 20 is either spaced from the air shaft, ordischarge openings are made at this point to permit Water to drain outof the ventilator. As is shown in the drawing, any space between theinner edge of the band '20 and the eduction pipe is very narrow so as todischarge water, but is not spaced sufficiently to permit the entranceof any appreciable upwardly moving currents of air about the eductionpipe. Were the inner edge of the band spaced at any substantial distancefrom the pipe, upwardly moving currents of air at this point would setup eddy currents at the top of the eduction pipe which would lessen theeffectiveness of the ventilator.

The design and construction of the band 20 give the ventilator new andimproved functions, for it utilizes currents of air on the outside ofthe ventilator to assist in raising the efiiciency of the ventilator bydirecting those currents through the ventilator so that they have asuction or aspirating effect. Any entrance of these outside currentsinto the air shaft is effectually prevented.

It will beapparent that the improved type of ventilator eliminates thoseabrupt changes in the direction of the upwardly moving air currentsthrough the ventilator which result in loss of energy and reduction ofvelocity and discharge. This ventilator has a more free flow of air thanother ventilators of this general type. The lower air baflle 20 not onlyprevents the discharge of air beneath the windband, but creates thesuction effect which increases the eificiency of the ventilator in themanner set forth. The mechanical construction of the ventilator issuperior to previous designs.

These and other advantages will be apparent from the description whichhas been given, it being expressly understood that the invention is notlimited to the details and to the exact design as modifications andimprovements may be made without departing from the essentials of theinvention. It will be evident that in adapting the invention to arectangular ventilator, the shape of the various parts will have to beadapted thereto, but this will not effect the operation of the inventionor its design and principles of construction. Wherever the words cone orconical are used in the description or claims, it will be understoodthat they are intended to cover pyramidal or other shapes.

What is claimed is:

1. A ventilator of the unit type comprising an air shaft and an outerwindband spaced therefrom, a director cone above the air shaft and belowthe top of the windband, and a ring-shaped bafiie located entirely belowthe upper edge of the windband, and between the top of the windband andthe cone and adapted to prevent the entrance of rain into the interiorof the ventilator.

2. In a unitary ventilator construction, an air shaft, a windbandsurrounding the air shaft, supporting members extending from the top ofthe shaft directly to the upper portion of the windband, bracesextending inwardly from the top of the windband, a director conesuspended from the braces, a baffle supported upon the braces andlocated in the space between the cone and the inner wall of thewindband, secondary braces extending from the top of the air shaft tothe lower edge of the windband, and a conical ring supported on thesecondary braces, the outer edge of the ring being spaced from the innerwall of the windband.

ANTON K. WHITAKER.

